As freezing nights return, no one is more grateful that ice didn’t make an encore appearance than the Facilities team, which performed a near-miracle converting our facilities from skating rinks to safe places to work after the Dec. 6 ice storm closed UNTHSC for three days.

In sub-freezing weather, eight crew members used all possible means to beat, scrape, chop or melt ice from walkways and parking lots.

Jack Thetford breaking up ice.

“We used back-pack blowers, shovels, ice melt, tractors and really anything that was sturdy enough for us to break ice with,” said Seth Willmoth, Maintenance Manager. “From Sunday to Wednesday, our grounds crews worked close to 30 hours each on the ice.

Brian Jordan takes a well deserved ice-clearing break to sled downhill on his shovel.

Faulty equipment did not stop them. When their tractor broke down on Sunday and refused to move in reverse, Willmoth said the drivers had to do “a lot of circles in the parking lot.” More than once, he said, “we had to get the entire crew together to push it out of a corner.”

Treacherous commutes did not stop them. To ensure they were here Monday, Dec. 9, to help ready the campus for a Tuesday opening, Dean Conine, Grounds Foreman, spent Sunday night on campus, and Groundskeeper Tino Torres spent the night at his brothers’ nearby house.

Slippery footing did not stop them. “Every person in the group fell down at least once,” Willmoth said.

Facilities crews worked in sub-freezing weather to clear lots and pathways.

Working with Willmoth breaking ice were:

Dean Conine, Grounds Foreman

Jason Hartley, Executive Director, Facilities Management

Brian Jordan, Construction Manager

Ignacio Rodriguez, Groundskeeper

Kevin Saunders, Senior Groundskeeper

Jack Thetford, Construction Foreman

Tino Torres, Groundskeeper

“Our biggest goal was to make sure people could get from one point to another safely,” Willmoth said.

Words cannot express how much I appreciate the facilities team here. They do an amazing job day in and day out. With extreme temperaturs and conditions they move from amazing to super heros. Kuddos and thanks!